Greening Solid-Phase Organic Synthesis: Environmentally Conscious Synthesis of Pharmaceutically Relevant Privileged Structures 5,6-Dihydropyridin-2(1H)-ones and Quinolin-2(1H)-ones.

Solid-phase organic synthesis (SPOS) is a very efficient methodology for the synthesis of diverse organic molecules, particularly exploited in drug discovery. Here, we present the transformation of the traditional SPOS to an eco-friendlier methodology on examples of pharmacologically relevant privileged structures 5,6-dihydropyridin-2(1H)-ones and quinolin-2(1H)-ones. The green approach is primarily based on the utilization of environmentally friendly solvent 2-MeTHF in all steps of the synthesis. Target heterocycles were synthesized by extending our previously published synthesis of five-membered tetramic acid analogues to six-membered cycles. The crucial step of the synthesis is cyclization via nonclassical Wittig olefination of resin-bound esters. Traditional and green protocols provided comparable results with respect to purity and yield of products, thus opening the way for greener access to a variety of diverse heterocycles.

Environmentally Friendly SPPS II: Scope of Green Fmoc Removal Protocol Using NaOH and Its Application for Synthesis of Commercial Drug Triptorelin.

With the growing necessity to consider environmental impacts when synthesizing peptide-based drugs and to expand upon the recently published short communication report, we herein present a thorough evaluation of a green Fmoc removal protocol. Our protocol avoids the use of hazardous components (using piperidine as a base and dichloromethane (DCM) and N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) as solvents) and relies on the utilization of the green mineral base NaOH in combination with the greener solvent 2-methyltetrahydrofuran (2-MeTHF) mixed with MeOH. For the original Fmoc removal cocktail (solvents ratio of 1:1), we evaluated the impact of quality/purity of the used 2-MeTHF, scale-up, ratio of 2-MeTHF/MeOH, utilized hydroxide, temperature, and reaction time. An alternative 3:1 protocol was examined using various amino acids, and only Gly required the optimization of the Fmoc removal cocktail composition. The optimized protocol used to remove Fmoc from Gly residue was proved by the synthesis of Leu-enkephalin. We also investigated the stability of the conventional amino acid side-chain-protecting groups, t-Bu, Boc, Trt, and Pbf, and the formation of aspartimide as an undesirable side reaction that occurs during Fmoc solid-phase peptide synthesis (SPPS). The applicability of this synthesis strategy was documented by evaluating the SPPS of a commercial drug used for prostate and breast cancer treatments-decapeptide triptorelin.

Traceless Solid-Phase Organic Synthesis.

Traceless solid-phase synthesis represents an ultimate sophisticated synthetic strategy on insoluble supports. Compounds synthesized on solid supports can be released without a trace of the linker that was used to tether the intermediates during the synthesis. Thus, the target products are composed only of the components (atoms, functional groups) inherent to the target core structure. A wide variety of synthetic strategies have been developed to prepare products in a traceless manner, and this review is dedicated to all aspects of traceless solid-phase organic synthesis. Importantly, the synthesis does not need to be carried out on a linker designed for traceless synthesis; most of the synthetic approaches described herein were developed using standard, commercially available linkers (originally devised for solid-phase peptide synthesis). The type of structure prepared in a traceless fashion is not restricted. The individual synthetic approaches are divided into eight sections, each devoted to a different methodology for traceless synthesis. Each section consists of a brief outline of the synthetic strategy followed by a description of individual reported syntheses.

Traceless Solid-Phase Synthesis of Ketones via Acid-Labile Enol Ethers: Application in the Synthesis of Natural Products and Derivatives.

In solid-phase organic synthesis, Wang resin is traditionally used for the immobilization of acids, alcohols, phenols, and amines. We report the use of Wang resin for the traceless synthesis of ketones via acid-labile enol ethers. We demonstrate the practicality of this synthetic strategy on the solid-phase synthesis of pyrrolidine-2,4-diones, which represent the core structure of several natural products, including tetramic acid. Base-triggered condensation of pyrrolidine-2,4-diones yielded 4-hydroxy-1,1',2',5-tetrahydro-2H,5'H-[3,3'-bipyrrole]-2,5'-diones.

Traceless Solid-Phase Synthesis of 1' H-Spiro[Pyrrolidine-3,2'-quinazolin]-2-ones and 1' H-Spiro[Piperidine-3,2'-quinazolin]-2-ones via Lactamization of 1,2-Dihydroquinazoline-2-carboxylates.

We present the solid-phase synthesis of 1,2-dihydroquinazoline-2-carboxylate derivatives with a quaternary carbon in position 2 and their subsequent cyclization in solution into compounds with unique 3D architectures and pharmacological relevance-spiroquinazolines, namely, 1' H-spiro[pyrrolidine-3,2'-quinazolin]-2-ones and 1' H-spiro[piperidine-3,2'-quinazolin]-2-ones. Acyclic precursors were prepared from commercially available building blocks: protected amino acids (2,4-diaminobutyric acid and ornithine), 2-nitrobenzensulfonyl chlorides and α-bromoacetophenones. The crucial step of the synthesis was a base-mediated tandem reaction including C-arylation followed by cyclization into indazole oxides, and the formation of a 5-membered heterocycle was accomplished by ring expansion into quinazolines. These derivatives were cyclized into spiro compounds in solution after cleavage from the resin.

Nα-Amino acid containing privileged structures: design, synthesis and use in solid-phase peptide synthesis.

Fmoc-protected Nα-amino acid containing heterocyclic privileged structures, O-(1-methyl-5-oxo-2,5-dihydro-1H-pyrrol-3-yl)-l-serine and O-((S)-5-oxo-2,3,5,7a-tetrahydro-1H-pyrrolizin-7-yl)-l-serine, were synthesized on the solid phase from simple commercially available building blocks under mild conditions. The amino acid side-chain is composed of tetramic acid, a natural product derived privileged structure. The key transformation was the formation of cyclic enol ethers via nonclassical Wittig olefinations of the esters. Solid-phase synthesis represents a method of choice, particularly for the synthesis of peptides. This route is compatible with traditional Merrifield solid-phase peptide synthesis (SPPS), as documented on the preparation of the pentapeptide Leu-enkephalin amide H-Tyr-Gly-Gly-Phe-Leu-NH2 with Phe or Tyr replaced by a novel amino acid.

Modification of Boc-Protected CAN508 via Acylation and Suzuki-Miyaura Coupling.

The cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor, CAN508, was protected with di-tert-butyl dicarbonate to access the amino-benzoylated pyrazoles. The bromo derivatives were further arylated by Suzuki-Miyaura coupling using the XPhos Pd G2 pre-catalyst. The coupling reaction provided generally the para-substituted benzoylpyrazoles in the higher yields than the meta-substituted ones. The Boc groups were only utilized as directing functionalities for the benzoylation step and were hydrolyzed under conditions of Suzuki-Miyaura coupling, which allowed for elimination of the additional deprotection step.

Traceless Solid-Phase Synthesis of Fused Chiral Macrocycles via Conformational Constraint-Assisted Cyclic Iminium Formation.

Natural products comprising chiral molecular scaffolds containing fused medium-sized cycles and macrocycles represent an important and relevant pharmacological target for the discovery and development of new drugs. Here, we describe traceless solid-phase synthesis of acyclic intermediates amenable to cyclization to medium (11) and large (12) fused rings. The key aspect of the synthetic strategy is incorporation of a specific conformation constraint that facilitates cyclization in favor of 11- and 12-membered rings rather than possible 7-membered ones. The role of constraints in preorganization required for cyclization is supported by computational analysis. The synthesis involves cyclic N-sulfonyliminium-nucleophilic addition chemistry as the key ring-forming reaction and proceeds with complete stereocontrol of the newly formed stereogenic center. We document the scope and limitations of this strategy in the synthesis of 11+5, 11+6, 11+7, and 12+6 fused rings representing molecular scaffolds with 3D architecture that mimic complex natural products.

Fused Ring Molecular Scaffold with 3D Architecture for Constrained Peptidomimetics: Polymer-Supported Stereoselective Synthesis of Tetrahydrobenzo[e]pyrazino[2,1-c][1,2,4]thiadiazinone 6,6-dioxide via N-Acyl Iminiums.

3,4,4a,5-Tetrahydrobenzo[e]pyrazino[2,1-c][1,2,4]thiadiazin-1(2H)-one 6,6-dioxides, molecular scaffolds with 3D architecture, were synthesized on solid supports via tandem N-acyl iminium ion cyclization followed by nucleophilic addition. The modular synthesis proceeded under mild conditions using commercially available building blocks and provided crude products with respectable purity. The synthesized compounds are applicable as fused nitrogenous heterocyclic compounds in drug discovery and as constrained peptidomimetics incorporated into a peptide backbone.

N-Oxide as an Intramolecular Oxidant in the Baeyer-Villiger Oxidation: Synthesis of 2-Alkyl-2H-indazol-3-yl Benzoates and 2-Alkyl-1,2-dihydro-3H-indazol-3-ones.

In this study, we describe the intramolecular Baeyer-Villiger oxidation of ketones to esters using N-oxide. 2-Nitro-N-alkyl-N-(2-oxo-2-phenylethyl)benzenesulfonamide compounds are known to undergo base-mediated C-arylation followed by N-N bond formation, producing unstable five-membered ring intermediates that spontaneously dehydrate to indazole oxides. We identified the reaction conditions under which the cyclic intermediate undergoes acid-mediated intramolecular Baeyer-Villiger oxidation of the ketone in which N-oxide serves as the intramolecular oxidizing agent. The solid-phase synthesis plays a critical role in the successful transformation, allowing rapid access to the unstable but Baeyer-Villiger oxidation-prone intermediate. This synthetic route provides practical access to 2-alkyl-2H-indazol-3-yl benzoates and 2-alkyl-1,2-dihydro-3H-indazol-3-ones, which are known privileged structures possessing remarkable diverse pharmacologically relevant activities.

Novel arylazopyrazole inhibitors of cyclin-dependent kinases.

Here, we describe new 4-arylazo-3,5-diamino-1H-pyrazole derivatives developed from CAN508, one of the first inhibitors to show preference for transcriptional regulator cyclin-dependent kinase 9. By substituting nitrogen in the pyrazole ring and employing a heteroatom in the 4-aryl ring, we obtained more potent derivatives differing in their CDK-selectivity profiles. The antiproliferative and anti-CDK kinase activities of the novel arylazopyrazoles were examined. The cellular effect of compound IVc was studied on MCF-7 cells synchronized by various methods and compared with other selective CDK inhibitors. The results demonstrated that IVc shows a preference for CDK4 and CDK1. In contrast to cytostatic effects induced by IVc in MCF-7 and K562 cells, we observed apoptotic activities in the RPMI-8226 cell line, which were confirmed by detecting active caspases by different biochemical assays.

Ring contraction of 2,5-dihydrobenzo[f][1,2,5]thiadiazepine 1,1-dioxides: access to 4H-benzo[b][1,4]thiazine 1,1-dioxides.

We report an efficient synthesis of 4H-benzo[b][1,4]thiazine 1,1-dioxides via unprecedented ring contraction of 2,5-dihydrobenzo[f][1,2,5]thiadiazepine 1,1-dioxides under mild conditions involving carbon-sulfur bond formation. 2,5-Dihydrobenzo[f][1,2,5]thiadiazepine 1,1-dioxides are easily accessible from commercially available building blocks, including Fmoc-protected amino acids, 2-nitrobenzenesulfonyl chlorides, and bromo ketones. Benzothiazine 1,1-dioxides represent pharmacologically relevant derivatives with biological, medicinal, and industrial applications.

Solid-phase synthesis of 2-aryl-3-alkylamino-1H-indoles from 2-nitro-N-(2-oxo-2-arylethyl)benzenesulfonamides via base-mediated C-arylation.

Polymer-supported 2-nitro-N-(2-oxo-2-arylethyl)benzenesulfonamides, prepared from resin-bound amines by sulfonylation with 2-nitrobenzenesulfonyl chlorides followed by alkylation with α-bromoacetophenones, represent advanced intermediates for the synthesis of different nitrogenous heterocycles. We report their application for the synthesis of 2-aryl-3-alkylamino-1H-indoles via base-mediated C-arylation reactions followed by the reduction of the C-arylated intermediates. Linear precursors for C-arylation were prepared on solid-phase support from simple, commercially available building blocks. The effects of different substituents on the amino and aryl groups were addressed.

Arylazopyrazole AAP1742 inhibits CDKs and induces apoptosis in multiple myeloma cells via Mcl-1 downregulation.

Inhibitors of cyclin-dependent kinases 9 have been developed as potential anticancer drugs for the treatment of multiple myeloma. We have previously prepared a library of arylazo-3,5-diaminopyrazole inhibitors of CDKs. Here, we describe a novel member, AAP1742 (CDK9 inhibition with IC(50) = 0.28 µm), that reduces the viability of multiple myeloma cell lines in low micromolar concentrations. Consistent with inhibition of CDK9, AAP1742 decreases the phosphorylation of RNA polymerase II and inhibits mRNA synthesis of anti-apoptotic proteins Mcl-1, Bcl-2, and XIAP, followed by apoptosis in the RPMI-8226 cell line in a dose- and a time-dependent manner. These results are consistent with the biochemical profile of AAP1742 and further suggest cellular inhibition of CDK9 as a possible target for anticancer drugs.